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172 | DESTINATION GUIDES<br />
Sharm El<br />
Sheikh Egypt<br />
DIALLING CODE +20<br />
CURRENCY EGP<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk on arrival<br />
for special easyJet<br />
infl ight rates.<br />
Holiday Taxis<br />
(easyJet.holiday<br />
taxis.com) take you<br />
from home to airport,<br />
then city or destination.<br />
TAXI<br />
A journey to the<br />
city costs EGP120.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €30 Sharm<br />
Grill House (Horus<br />
Mall, Hadaba, tel: 010<br />
001 6143) Located<br />
opposite the Il Mercato<br />
shopping centre, stop at<br />
this recently opened<br />
restaurant, which offers<br />
traditional Egyptian<br />
cuisine including kebabs.<br />
UP TO €50 Kona Kai<br />
(Marriott Hotel, Na’ama<br />
Bay, tel: 069 360 0190)<br />
Using the freshest local<br />
fi sh, the all-you-caneat<br />
sushi menus are<br />
extremely popular here.<br />
Alternatively, book a<br />
teppanyaki table and<br />
watch as your food is<br />
prepared in front of you.<br />
EXCLUSIVE La Luna<br />
(Ritz Carlton Hotel, tel:<br />
069 366 1919) This<br />
stylish restaurant serves<br />
Italian cuisine including<br />
superb antipasti and<br />
homemade pasta, with<br />
panoramic views of the<br />
Red Sea. For something<br />
a bit different try the<br />
coffee-fl avoured pasta.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Queen Vic<br />
(Soho Square, tel: 010<br />
160 9544) Slouch into<br />
this bar’s big couches,<br />
watch the fl ickering<br />
fi re and order from the<br />
bar spanning the entire<br />
length of the pub.<br />
LIVE MUSIC Camel<br />
Bar (Camel Hotel,<br />
Na’ama Bay, tel: 069<br />
360 0700) A drink at<br />
Camel Bar is a great way<br />
to wind down at the end<br />
of the week. Thursday<br />
nights see live music<br />
– acts typically range<br />
from classic rock to soul.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Pulse (Grand Rotana<br />
Resort and Spa, Shark’s<br />
Bay, tel: 069 360 2700)<br />
Party-goers will enjoy<br />
excellent resident DJs,<br />
lavish visual effects<br />
UP TO<br />
€15<br />
Vanilla (Camel Hotel,<br />
Na’ama Bay, tel: 069<br />
360 0700) A great<br />
little café serving<br />
delicious homemade<br />
Italian-style ice<br />
cream, cakes,<br />
pastries, freshly<br />
squeezed juices and<br />
gourmet coffee. If it’s<br />
warm enough, sit out<br />
on the terrace.<br />
and effortless style at<br />
energetic Pulse.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP For a special<br />
gift, check out The<br />
Viva Art Gallery which<br />
sells original paintings,<br />
photography, canvas<br />
prints and sculptures<br />
(Viva Mall, Peace Road).<br />
SEE Enjoy the stunning<br />
corals and brightly<br />
coloured fi sh from the<br />
air-conditioned comfort<br />
of a semi-submersible<br />
United Submarines<br />
boat. The view from<br />
the windows provides<br />
a great opportunity<br />
to photograph the<br />
underwater world<br />
(El Khazan Street,<br />
Umm El Sid Hill).<br />
GO Make the most of<br />
the clear-night skies and<br />
head 40 minutes out<br />
into the desert for an<br />
evening of star-gazing.<br />
Spot all the major<br />
constellations with help<br />
from an experienced<br />
Bedouin guide.<br />
ESCAPE For a unique<br />
holiday adventure,<br />
explore the stunning<br />
Sinai Desert (one hour<br />
away) from the back of<br />
an Arabian horse. The<br />
Omar Riding Club tailor<br />
trips to suit beginners<br />
to advanced riders and<br />
all excursions include an<br />
experienced guide.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
Despite being located<br />
just a few kilometres<br />
away from Sharm el<br />
Sheikh’s coastline, the<br />
popular dive spot of<br />
Tiran Island actually<br />
offi cially belongs to<br />
Saudi Arabia.<br />
Penny Orford<br />
Sofia<br />
Bulgaria<br />
DIALLING CODE +359<br />
CURRENCY Leu (BGN)<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk on arrival<br />
for special easyJet<br />
infl ight rates.<br />
Holiday Taxis<br />
(easyJet.holiday<br />
taxis.com) take you<br />
from home to airport,<br />
then city or destination.<br />
The 30-minute<br />
journey to the city<br />
costs about BGN14.<br />
Catch bus 84<br />
from Terminal 1<br />
or bus 284 from<br />
Terminal 2. They leave<br />
every 10–15 minutes<br />
and take about 30<br />
minutes to get to the city<br />
centre. Tickets: BGN1.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €15 Mimas<br />
(68 Vasil Levski<br />
Bulevard) Pop down<br />
to this reliable eatery<br />
where kebabs, burgers<br />
and falafel are the main<br />
features of the menu.<br />
It’s open 24/7 for latenight<br />
diners.<br />
UP TO €30 Trikrakoto<br />
Pile (3 Denkoglu Ulitsa,<br />
tel: 986 2653) Situated<br />
on a peaceful street, this<br />
relaxing and informal<br />
venue still manages<br />
to pull in the crowds.<br />
Expect well-produced<br />
national cuisine.<br />
UP TO €50 Istanbul<br />
(Kempinski Hotel<br />
Zografski, 100 James<br />
Bourchier Bulevard,<br />
tel: 969 2222) Get<br />
a real taste of the<br />
Middle East at this<br />
Turkish and Lebanese<br />
restaurant. Situated in<br />
a peaceful hotel, the<br />
interior is exotic and<br />
so are the excellent<br />
dancers and food.<br />
EXCLUSIVE Clock<br />
House (15 Moskovska<br />
Ulitsa, tel: 932 7595) In<br />
a beautifully restored<br />
house dating back to the<br />
19th century, enjoy fi ne<br />
European and Bulgarian<br />
cuisine in an enchanting<br />
dining room looking out<br />
over the gardens.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Villa<br />
Rosiche (26 Neofi t<br />
Rilski Ulitsa, tel: 954<br />
3072) With a winning<br />
combination of great<br />
cakes, strong coffee and<br />
homely pots of tea, this<br />
inviting café-bakery is<br />
well worth a visit.<br />
LIVE MUSIC<br />
Hambara (22 Shesti<br />
Sevtemvri Ulitsa) For<br />
those who like a spot of<br />
culture with their drink,<br />
Hambara’s excellent<br />
programme of live jazz<br />
provides an added<br />
incentive to drop by<br />
and have a beer in this<br />
candlelit barn.<br />
LATE & LIVELY Bar<br />
at the End of the<br />
Universe (Bulevard<br />
34B, Studentski grad,<br />
tel: 962 5541) Start or<br />
fi nish your lively night<br />
with a drink in this<br />
bar, aptly named as it<br />
lies on the northern<br />
fringes of Sofi a’s<br />
PLANNING TO DIVE IN THE RED SEA?<br />
Avoid Rogue Operators<br />
Dive only with legal diving operators on your next trip<br />
to Egypt’s Red Sea. All CDWS member dive operators<br />
have met ISO standards EN 14467 / ISO 24803 for<br />
diving to ensure your diving safety. For a full list of legal<br />
diving operators in Egypt visit: www.cdws.travel<br />
TAXI<br />
far out Studenski<br />
grad neighbourhood<br />
– prepare to party<br />
long into the night.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP Tucked away in<br />
a discreet basement,<br />
the Dyukyan Meloman<br />
emporium boasts a<br />
great collection of world<br />
music. The staff have<br />
an amazing knowledge<br />
of their specialist<br />
fi eld and can fi nd you<br />
any CD you need (7A<br />
Shesti Sevtemvri Ulitsa,<br />
meloman-bg.com).<br />
SEE The ultimate<br />
fl amenco Señora, Isabel<br />
Bayón, visits Sofi a on<br />
10 December with her<br />
Tan Solo Flamenco<br />
show. She performs<br />
at the impressive<br />
National Palace of<br />
Culture (ndk.bg).<br />
GO Visit the Sofi a<br />
University campus,<br />
home to some of the<br />
city’s oldest buildings.<br />
Chill out in the Doctor’s<br />
Garden with the<br />
arty, student crowd<br />
and get lost in an<br />
intellectual debate.<br />
ESCAPE The eco path<br />
between the quaint<br />
villages of Zheleznitsa<br />
and Bistrica is a<br />
wonderful place to<br />
take a long walk and<br />
get some fresh, out-ofthe-city<br />
air. Bus 98<br />
goes from Hladilnika<br />
to both villages. The<br />
journey is 30 minutes<br />
from Sofi a.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
The world’s fi rst<br />
digital wristwatch was<br />
developed by Bulgarian<br />
Peter Petroff.<br />
Maya Kozareva<br />
www.cdws.travel
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